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Fatberg Causes New Year Disruption in Staffordshire TownTwo years ago, London’s 130-ton fatberg hit the headlines. But similar manifestations are emerging elsewhere across the country. Residents of the Staffordshire town of Cannock had their new year celebrations disrupted in the most unpleasant way imaginable when a fatberg led to chaos, flooding gallons of raw sewage down a busy street outside a supermarket.
At this time of year, regular drain cleaning is essential to reduce the likelihood of flooding due to extreme weather conditions, putting the infrastructure under pressure. However, the incident had nothing to do with meteorological conditions.
What is a fatberg?
As most people are already aware, a fatberg is a congealed mass of non-biodegradable matter that forms in a sewer. Fatbergs are predominantly comprised of grease, cooking fat, wet wipes and other things that should not be flushed down toilets. London has experienced several fatbergs in recent years, including a 50 metre monster that was discovered under the streets of Soho in 2017.
Following that incident, everyone was talking about fatbergs and Channel 4 even commissioned a fatberg autopsy for a documentary on the topic. It revealed some shocking facts about just what Londoners are putting down their toilets.
A river of sewageThe events in Cannock over New Year demonstrate that fatbergs are not just restricted to the capital. Severn Trent Water confirmed to local media that a sewer pipe beneath Walsall Road, to the south of the town, had become blocked because of a fatberg comprised of congealed cooking fat and baby wipes. The blockage caused a build-up of pressure, with toilets backing up in local premises. Ultimately, it led to gallons of raw human waste flooding down the street.
Local priest, Father Peter Weatherby, was among the first to notice that something was going badly wrong when he became